Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A34255
|
A Confession of faith put forth by the elders and brethren of many congregations of Christians (baptized upon profession of their faith) in London and the country.
|
|
1677
(1677)
|
Wing C5794; ESTC R25352
|
47,552
|
162
|
probable perswasion grounded upon d Heb. 6. 11. 19. a fallible hope but an infallible assurance of faith founded on the Blood and Righteousness of Christ e Heb. 6. 17 18. revealed in the Gospel and also upon the inward f 2 Pet. 1. 4 5 10. 11. evidence of those graces of the Spirit unto which promises are made and on the testimony of the g Rom. 8. 15 16. Spirit of adoption witnessing with our Spirits that we are the children of God and as a fruit thereof keeping the heart both h 1 Joh. 3 1 2 3. humble and holy 3. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith but that a true Believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be i Isa 50. 10. Ps 88. Psa 77. 1-12 partaker of it yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God he may without extraordinary revelation in the right use of means k 1 Joh. 4 13. Heb. 6. 11 12. attain thereunto and therefore it is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the holy Spirit in love and thankfulness to God and in strength and chearfulness in the duties of obedience the proper l Rom. 5. 1 2. 5. ch 14 17. Ps 119. 32. fruits of this Assurance so far is it m Rom. 6. 1 2. Tit. 2. 11 12. 14. from inclining men to looseness 4. True Believers may have the assurance of their Salvation divers ways shaken diminished and intermitted as n Cant. 5. 2 3. 6. by negligence in preserving of it by o Ps 51. 8. 12. 14. falling into som special Sin which woundeth the Conscience and grieveth the Spirit by some sudden or p Psa 116. 11. Ps 77. 7 8. Ps 31 22. vehement temptation by Gods withdrawing the q Ps 30. 7 light of his countenance and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light yet are they never destitute of the r 1 Joh. 3. 9. seed of God and Life s Luk. 22. 32. of Faith that Love of Christ and the brethren that sincerity of Heart and Conscience of duty out of which by the operation of the Spirit this Assurance may in due time be t Ps 42. 5. 11. revived and by the which in the mean time they are u Lam. 3. 26. 27-31 preserved from utter despair CHAP. XIX Of the Law of God 1. GOd gave to Adam a Law of universal obedience a Gen. 1. 27. Eccl. 7. 29. written in his Heart and a particular precept of not eating the Fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal entire exact and perpetual b Rom. 10 5. obedience promised life upon the fulfilling and c Gal. 3. 10. 12 threatned death upon the breach of it and indued him with power and ability to keep it 2. The same Law that was first written in the heart of man d Rom. 2. 14 15. continued to be a perfect rule of Righteousness after the fall was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in e Deut. 10. 4. Ten Commandments and written in two Tables the four first containing our duty towards God and the other six our duty to man 3. Besides this Law commonly called moral God was pleased to give to the people of Israel Ceremonial Laws containing several typical ordinances partly of worship f Heb. 10. 1. Col. 2. 17. prefiguring Christ his graces actions sufferings and benefits and partly holding forth divers instructions g 1 Cor. 5 7. of moral duties all which Ceremonial Laws being appointed only to the time of reformation are by Jesus Christ the true Messiah and only Law-giver who was furnished with power from the Father for that end h Col. 2. 14 16 17 Eph. 2. 14. 16. abrogated and taken away 4. To them also he gave sundry judicial Laws which expired together with the state of that people not obliging any now by vertue of that institution their general i 1 Cor. 9. 8 9 10. equity onely being of moral use 5. The moral Law doth for e-ever bind all k Rom. 13 8 9 10. Jam. 2. 8. 10 11 12 as well justified persons as others to the obedience thereof and that not only in regard of the matter contained in it but also in respect of the l Jam. 2 10 11. authority of God the Creator who gave it Neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve m Mat. 5. 17 18 19. Rom. 3. 31. but much strengthen this obligation 6. Although true Believers be not under the Law as a Covenant of Works n Rom. 6. 14. Gal. 2. 16. Rom. 8. 1. cha 10. 4. to be thereby Justified or condemned yet it is of great use to them as well as to others in that as a Rule of Life informing them of the Will of God and their Duty it directs and binds them to walk accordingly o Rom. 3. 20. chap. 7. 7. c. discovering also the sinfull pollutions of their Natures Hearts and Lives so as Examining themselves thereby they may come to further Conviction of Humiliation for and Hatred against Sin together with a clearer sight of the need they have of Christ and the perfection of his Obedience It is likewise of use to the Regenerate to restrain their Corruptions in that it forbids Sin and the Threatnings of it serve to shew what even their Sins deserve and what afflictions in this Life they may expect for them although free'd from the Curse and unallayed Rigor thereof The Promises of it likewise shew them Gods approbation of Obedience and what blessings they may expect upon the performance thereof though not as due to them by the Law as a Covenant of Works so as mans doing Good and refraining from Evil because the Law incourageth to the one and deterreth from the other is no Evidence of his being p Rom. 6. 12 13 14. 1 Pet. 3. 8 -13 under the Law and not under Grace 7. Neither are the forementioned uses of the Law q Gal. 3. 21. contrary to the Grace of the Gospel but do sweetly comply with it the Spirit of Christ subduing r Eze. 36. 27. and inabling the Will of man to do that freely and chearfully which the will of God revealed in the Law requireth to be done CHAP. 20. Of the Gospel and of the extent of the Grace thereof 1. THE Covenant of Works being broken by Sin and made unprofitable unto Life God was pleased to give forth the promise of Christ a Gen. 3. 15. the Seed of the Woman as the means of calling the Elect and begetting in them Faith and Repentance in this Promise the b Rev. 13. 8. Gospel as to
to the internal work of the Spirit and truth of grace may be called invisible consists of the whole a Heb. 12. 23. Col. 1. 18. Eph. 1. 10 22. 23. ch 5. 23 27 32. number of the Elect that have been are or shall be gathered into one under Christ the head thereof and is the spouse the body the fulness of him that filleth all in all 2. All persons throughout the world professing the faith of the Gospel and obedience unto God by Christ according unto it not destroying their own profession by any Errors everting the foundation or unholyness of conversation b 1 Cor. 1 2. Act. 11. 26. are and may be called visible Saints c Rom. 1. 7. Eph. 1. 20 21 22. and of such ought all particular Congregations to be constituted 3. The purest Churches under heaven are subject d 1 Cor. 15. Rev. 2. ch 3. to mixture and error and som have so degenerated as to become e Rev. 18. 2. 2 Thes 2. 11 12. no Churches of Christ but Synagogues of Satan nevertheless Christ always hath had and ever shall have a f Mat. 16. 18. Ps 72. 17. Ps 102. 28. Rev. 12. 17. Kingdome in this world to the end thereof of such as believe in him and make profession of his Name 4. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church in whom by the appointment of the Father g Col. 1. 18. Mat. 28. 18 19. 20. Eph. 4. 11 12. all power for the calling institution order or Government of the Church is invested in a supream soveraigne manner neither can the Pope of Rome in any sense be head thereof but is h 2 Thes 2. 3-9 that Antichrist that Man of sin and Son of perdition that exalteth himself in the Church against Christ and all that is called God whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming 5. In the execution of this power wherewith he is so intrusted the Lord Jesus calleth out of the World unto himself through the Ministry of his word by his Spirit i Joh 10. 16. chap. 12 32. those that are given unto him by his Father that they may walk before him in all the k Mat. 28. 20. ways of obedience which he prescribeth to them in his Word Those thus called he commandeth to walk together in particular societies or l Mat. 18. 15-20 Churches for their mutual edification and the due performance of that publick worship which he requireth of them in the World 6. The Members of these Churches are m Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Saints by calling visibly manifesting and evidencing in and by their profession and walking their obedience unto that call of Christ and do willingly consent to walk together according to the appointment of Christ giving up themselves to the Lord one to another by the will of God n Act. 2. 41 42. ch 5. 13. 14. 2 Cor. 9. 13. in professed subjection to the Ordinances of the Gospel 7. To each of these Churches thus gathered according to his mind declared in his word he hath given all that o Mat. 18. 17 18. 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. with v. 13. 2 Cor. 2. 6 7 8. power and authority which is any way needfull for their carrying on that order in worship and discipline which he hath instituted for them to observe with commands and rules for the due and right exerting and executing of that power 8. A particular Church gathered and compleatly Organized according to the mind of Christ consists of Officers and Members And the Officers appointed by Christ to be chosen and set apart by the Church so called and gathered for the peculiar Administration of Ordinances and Execution of Power or Duty which he intrusts them with or calls them to to be continued to the end of the World are p Bishops or Elders r Act. 20 17 with v. 28. Phil. 1. 1. and Deacons 9. The way appointed by Christ for the Calling of any person fitted and gifted by the Holy Spirit unto the Office of Bishop or Elder in a Church is that he be chosen thereunto by the common q Act. 14 23. See the original suffrage of the Church it self and Solemnly set apart by Fasting and Prayer with imposition of hands of the r 1 Tim. 4. 14. Eldership of the Church if there be any before Constituted therein And of a Deacon s Act. 6. 3. 5. 6. that he be chosen by the like suffrage and set apart by Prayer and the like Imposition of hands 10. The work of Pastors being constantly to attend the Service of Christ in his Churches in the Ministry of the Word and Prayer t Act. 6. 4. Heb. 13. 17. with watching for their Souls as they that must give an account to him it is incumbent on the Churches to whom they Minister not only to give them all due respect u 1 Tim. 5. 17 18. Gal. 6. 6 7. but also to communicate to them of all their good things according to their ability so as they may have a comfortable supply without being themselves x 2 Tim. 2. 4. entangled in Secular Affairs and may also be capable of exercising y 1 Tim. 3. 2. Hospitality toward others and this is required by the z 1 Cor. 9. 6 -14 Law of Nature and by the Express order of our Lord Jesus who hath ordained that they that preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 11. Although it be incumbent on the Bishops or Pastors of the Churches to be instant in Preaching the Word by way of Office yet the work of Preaching the Word is not so peculiarly confined to them but that others also a Act. 11. 19 20 21. 1 Pet. 4. 10. 11. gifted and fitted by the Holy Spirit for it and approved and called by the Church may and ought to perform it 12. As all Believers are bound to joyn themselves to particular Churches when and where they have opportunity so to do So all that are admitted unto the priviledges of a Church are also b 1 Thes 5. 14. 2 Thes 3. 6. 14 15. under the Censures and Government thereof according to the Rule of Christ 13. No Church-members upon any offence taken by them having performed their Duty required of them towards the person they are offended at ought to disturb any Church order or absent themselves from the Assemblies of the Church or Administration of any Ordinances upon the account of such offence at any of their fellow-members but to wait upon Christ c Mat. 18. 15. 16 17. Eph. 4. 2 3. in the further proceeding of the Church 14. As each Church and all the Members of it are bound to d Eph. 6. 18. Ps 122. 6. pray continually for the good and prosperity of all the Churches of Christ in all places and upon all occasions to further it every one within the bounds of their places